The images of protestors pouring into the United States Capitol building will long be seared into our collective memories. This chaotic and disturbing event came on the heels of an exhausting, painful year that ended with a close, disputed election.<\/p>\n
Disputed elections aren\u2019t all that new. It took 36 days to resolve Bush\/Gore in 2000, which hinged on a nail-biter in Florida and a 5-4 Supreme Court vote. In 2004, some Democrats in Congress objected<\/a> to the counting of Ohio’s electoral votes. Like the GOP objections last week, their claims were ultimately rejected. So Bush was certified for 2004, and Biden for 2020.<\/p>\n But the fallout from the 2020 election feels different, especially for Christians. It\u2019s not just that Americans are divided; it\u2019s that brothers and sisters in Christ are divided<\/em>: over Trump, over whether the election was legitimate, over racial issues, over COVID. This division has bred hatred, discord and disunity among believers \u2014 all things God\u2019s Word explicitly denounces.<\/p>\n How are we to move forward in our relationships with Christians who see things differently? Post-election, some of us are furious and scared. Others are relieved, if not overjoyed. Yet God is still on His throne, working all things according to the counsel of His will (Ephesians 1:11). Christ\u2019s command for us to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace remains (Ephesians 2:3).<\/p>\n \u201cHow can anyone be a Christian and vote for Trump?\u201d my friend asked. Likewise, many Christians can\u2019t imagine how fellow believers could not vote for Trump.<\/p>\n The Bible is clear on matters that are essential to our salvation. The Bible is mainly a book about our relationship with God, fellow believers, and a watching world for whom we\u2019re to be a city on a hill (Matthew 5:14). We have disagreements with other Christians on unessential matters, and are told to follow the law of love, respecting one another\u2019s differing consciences (Romans 14:1-12, I Corinthians 8-10).<\/p>\n Is it OK to read Harry Potter? Drink alcohol in moderation? Watch football on Sunday afternoon? These are things on which sincere Christians differ, but which don\u2019t threaten our essential unity in God\u2019s family. \u201cEach one should be fully convinced in his own mind.\u201d \u201cSo, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.\u201d<\/p>\n What about voting? The Bible lays out some broad parameters for the role of government. But as with Harry Potter and football, Christians will differ on the details \u2014 on how to implement government most wisely for the common good.<\/p>\n In his helpful book \u201cHow the Nations Rage: Rethinking Faith and Politics in a Divided Age,\u201d Jonathan Leeman argues for three God-given purposes of government.<\/p>\n First, to render judgments that promote justice. We see this in the \u201clife for life\u201d principle of Genesis 9:5-6. This principal points to a larger theme of fairness: Lesser crimes should receive lesser punishments, or \u201cThe punishment should fit the crime.\u201d Governments should promote justice with fair sentencing for criminal acts of all kinds \u2014 and by anyone. This includes police officers, government insiders, even the President of the United States. Nobody can be above the law \u2014 otherwise that person becomes the law.<\/p>\n Second, to build platforms of peace, order and human flourishing. We see this in the context of Genesis 9:1-7, coming on the heels of a worldwide flood. The government is to render judgments that promote justice so that God\u2019s larger plan for the world can advance. Namely, humans filling the world and ruling it responsibly. Just look where we are today with life expectancy, overall health and extreme poverty compared to 100 years ago \u2014 especially in countries with responsible, ethical governments.<\/p>\n Third, governments should set the stage for God\u2019s plan of redemption to unfold. We see this in I Timothy 2. The Apostle Paul urges us to pray for those in leadership in order that \u201cwe may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.\u201d Sounds good. But there\u2019s a greater goal: the salvation of others (I Timothy 2:4). A good government respects religious liberty for everyone. This allows Christianity to compete in the marketplace of ideas, lowering the barrier for others to come to saving faith in Christ. The government can\u2019t mandate religion \u2014 at least not the true Christianity of the Bible, which requires an internal transformation. But it ought not to hinder it, as some governments<\/a> do.<\/p>\n A mutual understanding of the purpose of government gives us a framework to discuss how to best get there \u2014 or who will best get us there. In this last election, there were three options: Trump\/Pence, Biden\/Harris, or neither (third party, write-in, no vote \u2014 they\u2019re all a protest against the two main choices). We\u2019re selecting people, yes, but we\u2019re also selecting a slate of policy preferences. We\u2019re saying, \u201cI\u2019d like the country to move in this general direction.\u201d<\/p>\n Does who we vote for fall in the realm of clear, biblical command? Or does it fall in the realm of wisdom and conscience, with each Christian needing to weigh the options according to what God calls our government to do? I would say the latter. Our vote should proceed from faith and a clean conscience, because anything that doesn\u2019t proceed from faith is sin (Romans 14:23).<\/p>\n So what does this look like? What about abortion, for example? The Bible and medical science make clear that abortion is the killing of an innocent, defenseless human life. It\u2019s therefore a grievous evil. If you\u2019re a Christian and you think abortion is OK, that\u2019s not OK. Maybe you\u2019re thinking: \u201cAbortion is wrong for me; I wouldn\u2019t do it. But who am I to impose my morality on others?\u201d But every law reflects someone\u2019s morality. Our nation\u2019s laws reflect our collective morality \u2014 and are thus a hodgepodge of negotiated compromises. Go back 200 years, for example, and in the United States our collective morality allowed for slavery.<\/p>\n As a pro-life individual, can you vote for a pro-abortion candidate and maintain a clean conscience? I typically can\u2019t. But some Christians found Trump\u2019s character flaws to be a deal-breaker. Some even suggested that Christian support for Trump would have grave moral consequences<\/a> for our corporate witness. Others took the view that his pro-life and other policy achievements<\/a> made him worth the trouble and that his character flaws, while real, were not disqualifying<\/a>. (Remember, we voted before last Wednesday.) The larger point is this: There are reasonable Christians on both sides. We should be able to disagree charitably, without impugning motives.<\/p>\n What about COVID restrictions? The irony on this issue is that conservatives are liberal (less supportive of restrictions) and liberals are conservative (more supportive of restrictions). What does the Bible say about the virus? Well, not much. But we should love our neighbors. We should seek the welfare of our communities. Christ has overcome the fear of death, but that doesn\u2019t mean we act in a way that could hasten it. Likewise, being asked to wear a mask<\/a> should not offend us. Freedom is great, but setting aside our rights for the sake of others is even greater (I Corinthians 9:19-22; Galatians 5:13). This doesn\u2019t mean we can\u2019t find creative ways to worship corporately or in smaller groups.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve noticed that my lockdown-supportive friends can earn from home, and handsomely. The impact has been more severe \u2014 and longer lasting \u2014 for lower income individuals<\/a> who can\u2019t do the same. The mental health effects of mandates and quarantines are also worth considering; maintaining good health is not merely physical.<\/p>\n In short, sometimes where you stand depends on where you sit. We tend to look askance at people doing things we wouldn\u2019t do \u2014 while assuming our actions arise from only the purist of intentions. Maybe we should reverse these? Be more generous in our interpretation of the motives of others than we are about our own. Look for a possible plank in our eye before reaching for a supposed speck in the eye of our brother or sister (Matthew 7:5).<\/p>\n One problem is that we\u2019re more polarized<\/a> today. In past generations, there was more overlap between the average Democrat and the average Republican. Now, there\u2019s a chasm. This is especially true<\/a> among those who are most politically active. We tend to live in silos, surrounded by an echo chamber reinforcing our own beliefs and stereotypes about the \u201cother side.\u201d Last fall Pew Research<\/a> found that about 80 percent of both Trump and Biden supporters had few or no friends who supported the opposing candidate. Add to this a drop in civic engagement, church attendance and social functions in the wake of the pandemic, and you\u2019ve got a lot of lonely people stuck in their homes, listening to the political entertainment of their favorite cable anchor while crafting angry Facebook and Twitter posts about \u201cthem.\u201d<\/p>\nIt\u2019s OK for Christians to disagree<\/h2>\n
The role of government<\/h2>\n
Abortion, character and COVID<\/h2>\n
Polarization and isolation make it harder<\/h2>\n